The PS5 Showcase Event started this afternoon with an unusual announcement, and a bang. In this livestream about the upcoming next-gen console, Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XVI for the PlayStation 5 and the PC.
The trailer – for what was immediately obviously a new Final Fantasy given the appearance of series staple Chocobos – displayed both scenes of a mercenary band and a more idyllic setting, though one with obvious undercurrents of darkness as well.
The short trailer showed the as of yet unnamed protagonist, fighting solo against monsters such as a Malboro in a battle system reminiscent of Final Fantasy XV’s combat, only faster paced, as well as scenes of political maneuvering involving “mother crystals”, “blight” and “icons” seemingly this world’s term for summoned monsters.
Final Fantasy XVI’s tagline, “The Legacy of the Crystals has shaped our history for long enough”, echoed out over scenes of a glowing phoenix fighting against an Ifrit literally made of ash and fire, an ice wielding woman (almost certainly Shiva) fighting a Titan, and many other quick cuts of action scenes. Overall, this entry appears to be going for a much more medieval aesthetic than recent Final Fantasy outings.
The trailer built to its climax, the reveal that this was not merely a new Final Fantasy game, but was the next numbered entry, Final Fantasy XVI, and that it was a PlayStation 5 exclusive… and also PC.
At the time of writing, there is no official release date for Final Fantasy XVI.
Final Fantasy XVI will be the first numbered entry in the series since 2016. The last major release in the series being Final Fantasy VII Remake earlier this year. There was no news on the state of the next parts to VII Remake, as the first one did not cover all of the original games events.
